Closing machine



1935. R. E. J. NORDQUIST ET AL 2,010,031

CLOSING MACHINE Original Filed July 50, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet l Nv ATTOREYS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN/VCE B 3mm ATTORNEYS Aug. 6, 1935. R. E. J.NORDQUISTLET AL CLOSING MACHINE Original Filed July so, 1932 1935- R. E.J. NORDQUIST ET AL 2,010,031

CLOSING MACHINE Original Filed July 30, 1932 S Sheets-Sheet PatentedAug. 6, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE cnosmq mom Ronald E. 1.Nordquist and John Daniel Le Frank, Maplewood, N. J., assignors toAmerican Can Company, New York, N.'Y., a corporation of New JerseyOriginal application July 30, 1932, Serial No.

627,084. Divided and this application November 27, 1933, Serial No.700,012

6 Claims.

,5 division of our application Serial No. 627,084, filed July 30, 1932,on Vacuum closing machine.

An object of the invention is the provision of a manual control forstarting and stopping a container handling apparatus or the like throughan actuating power element such as an electric mo tor, such controlpermitting starting of the motor only when there is no apparatus load onits shaft and further insuring the building up of proper speed ofrotation for the motor before the load of the machine can be transferredto it.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparentas it is better understood from the following description, which, takenin connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferredembodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a preferred form of apparatus embodyingthe present invention;

Fig. 2 is a combination side elevation and sectional view of the partsillustrated in Fig. 1 being taken substantially along the broken line2-2 in that figure;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the starting 1ever, as viewed from aposition indicated by the broken line 3-3 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional detail taken substantially along theline H in Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a small scale plan sectional view illustrating containerfeeding turrets and seaming heads of the machine, taken substantiallyalong the line 5-5 in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 6 is a wiring diagram of the electrical circuit for the motor.

The apparatus, illustrated in the drawings as a preferred embodiment ofthe invention, comprises a fully automatic machine, the main orprincipal features of which are indicated and in which filled open topcontainers and container covers are introduced into a chamber from asuitable source of supply and presented to a sealing mechanismpositioned within the chamber where they are hermetically sealed.

All of the moving parts of the various units of the machine may bedriven by connection witha main shaft which constitutes the drivenelement in the instant invention and which is continuously rotatedduring the normal operation of the machine by connection with anelectric motor.

The driving connection from the motor to the main shaft is made througha friction clutch which is mechanical in its operation and one of itsuses is to allow manual control of the starting and stopping of theapparatus. Provision is made for preventing the starting of the motor ifthe clutch is inpositlon to establish driving connection between themain and motor shafts. This feature prevents the motor picking up a loadwhen starting from a dead stop and further prevents the load ofoperation of the machine being transferred to the motor until after ithas attained suilicient speed. These parts of the machine are shown insome detail.

The machine illustrated in the drawings comprises broadly a main frameor housing ll (Fig. 2) enclosing a chamber I2 in which most of the canand cover conveying and seaming mechanisms are located, a-housing covermember l3 being positioned on and bolted to the top of the housingproviding a suitable closure therefor and a support for the drivingmechanism.

All of the operating parts of the machine are preferably motor actuatedand a consideration will first be had of the motor and its drivingconnections through the friction clutch just referred to. The housingcover l3 directly supports an electric motor 2| (Fig. 1) and for thispurpose a base plate 22 is mounted upon and secured by bolts 23 to thecover. This base plate provides a support for feet 24 formed on themotor frame, bolts 25 holding the motor in secure position. A motorshaft 21 extends toward the rear of the apparatus and carries a sprocket28 over which operates a chain 29 also passing over a sprocket 3| (seealso Fig. 2) associated with a mechanical friction clutch broadlyindicated by the numeral 33.

The sprocket 3| is pinned to an outer shell of the clutch and this shellis rotatably mounted upon a power shaft 36 and carries the usual innersliding disc and disc plates of a suitable multiple plate frictionclutch some of the friction parts being associated with an outer sleevemember 38 feathered on the outer end of the shaft. This member 38 isencircled by a spring 39 which is confined between an inner wall of thesleeve member and a nut 42 threadedly engaged on the outer extremity ofthe power shaft.

Parts of the friction clutch 33 including the sleeve 33 have slightlongitudinal movement on the shaft 36 and when in one position and underthe action of the spring 39 effect engagement of the clutch.Disengagement of the clutch elements is made by a reverse longitudinalmovement of these parts, accompanied by a compression of the spring 39,this being a usual construction in multiple plate clutches of thisgeneral type. This moving of the parts and the resulting clutching andunclutching is under the manual control of the operator as will behereinafter described.

The power shaft 36 is journaled in roller bearing units 5| (Fig. 2)carried in a housing cover extension 52 which rests upon and is boltedat 53 to a tubular member 54 which may be a part of the containerhandling apparatus. An extension cap 51 (see also Fig. 1) rests upon theupper end of the housing cover extension and these two members provide ahousing for the shaft and certain gears associated with it.

The shaft 36 within this gear housing carries a bevel pinion 58 which iskeyed to the shaft and is held longitudinally against the rotatable partof the bearing unit 5I by locknuts 59 threadedly connected with theshaft. This pinion 58 meshes with a bevel gear 62 carried on the upperend of a main vertical shaft 63.

The shaft 63 is representative of the driven elements which are to beactuated by the motor 2| through the friction clutch 33. This shaft ismounted for rotation in any proper manner within the tubular member 54and the main frame II, bearings 65 contained in a supporting cup 66within the tubular member being illustrated as a bearing for the top endof the shaft. Normally throughout the operations of the machine themotor 2| continually operates and rotates the sprocket 3| and if theclutch 33 is in clutched position, also rotates the power shaft 36 andthe main shaft 63.

When the can handling apparatus is a can closing machine as shown in thedrawings, filled containers with their loosely applied covers areconveyed to a seaming mechanism for uniting or double seaming the coverto the container. A transfer turret H (Figs. 2 and 5) is located withinthe chamber I2 and is used in this transfer of the containers. Thisturret is shown as revolving around the center of the shaft 63 which maybe used in its rotation. This feature is not a part of the presentinvention and further description is thought to be unnecessary.

The turret H may comprise an upper disc I3 and a lower disc I4 bothmounted on a stationary column I5 surrounding the main shaft. The twodiscs are provided with aligned pockets I8, I9 adapted to receive andhold a filled container 35 having a loosely applied cover 86. The turretmoves in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 5.

The containers are placed into the pockets I8, 19 in any suitable manneras by means of a. disc 88 located adjacent and moving tangentially ofthe turret II. The can with cover while in the turret pocket is conveyedonto and over an arcuate stationary support or guide rail M whichdirects the can into a seaming turret 93. Here can and cover arepositioned upon one of a series of pads or platforms carried by theseaming turret, each platform being directly associated and located invertical alignment with a seaming head unit 91 also carried by theturret 93 and driven from a vertical shaft 98 or in other suitablemanner in a counter-clockwise direction. It is while the can and coverare being carried around with the seaming turret that they are lifted bythe platform 95 and subjected to a seaming operation in the seaming headunit 91.

Reference has already been briefly made to the safety feature associatedwith the starting of the motor 2| which requires that the clutch 33 bedisconnected from the power shaft 36 before the motor begins itsrotation. A collar IOI (Figs. 2 and 4) is slidably mounted on the shaft36 and presses or releases the spring 39 and disconnects or allowsconnection of the drive in the clutch 33.

This collar is grooved in its outer periphery and a yoke I 03 carries apair of diametrically spaced pins I04 which engage loosely within thegroove of the collar. This yoke I03 is pivoted on a vertical pin I05(see also Fig. 1) carried in a bracket formed as an integral part of theextension cap 51. One arm of the yoke I03 carries a swivel I06 in whicha rod I0! is adjustably secured.

The rod I0! is pivotally connected at I00 to an oscillating disc I09having movement upon a stud III threadedly secured in the cap 51. Thedisc I09 when moved into the position shown in Fig. I forces the yokeI03 toward the end of the shaft 36 and holds the collar IOI so that theclutch 33 has disconnected. The pivot point I08 is passed the deadcenter between the points I06, III and the spring 39 acting through thecollar and yoke holds a screw II2, carried in .9. lug I I3 formed In thedisc, against a stop I I4 on the cap 51.

Disc I09 carries a pin II6 on which is pivotally mounted one end of arod III which is threadwhen moved longitudinally of the shaft comedlysecured to a block I I0. The block I I8 is pivotally connected at H9 toan arm I 2| formed as an integral part with a. rock shaft I22 (Fig. 2).This shaft has oscillating movement within bearing I23 projectedoutwardly from the housing cover I3 and in a similar bearing I24projecting outwardly from the chamber housing I I.

The shaft I22 is oscillated by a hand lever I3I (Figs. 1, 2 and 3) whichis secured to its lower end. This hand lever provides the manual controlof the clutch 33 and its end is formed with a hand grip I32. The leverhas an arcuate extension I33 on one side. In the unclutched position ofthe hand lever I3I as shown in Fig. 1, the motor 2| can be started.

Motor M is suitably wired in an electrical circult which will behereinafter fully described and these wires lead into a switch box I4Iwhich has a start button I42 and a stop button I43. When the startbutton is engaged the switch in the switch box MI is closed andelectrical energy may be brought into the motor to cause its rotation.When the stop button is pressed the current flowing in the switch box Iis interrupted and the motor comes to a stop.

A lever I45 (Figs. 1, 2 and 3) is pivoted at I46 to a tubular housing II'I which is formed as an integral part of a. hollow shell I48 bolted atI39 to the chamber housing I I. An arm I5I of the lever I45 projectsover the stop button I43 when the hand lever I3I is in unclutchedposition and a projection I52 formed on the end of the lever at suchtime rests over and against the end of the arcuate projection I 33 ofthe hand lever.

This position of the lever I45 leaves the start button unrestricted(Fig. 3) and the hand lever I3I cannot be moved from its unclutchedposition as long as the projection I52 of the lever I45 is in the way.The motor can, therefore, be started by engagement of the switch buttonI42 and completion of the electric circuit through the motor. 1

The lever I45 is provided with a hand grip I53 and the part of the leveron that side of its pivot is heavier than the arm side I5I and gravityholds the lever to normally cover the stop button I43 unless preventedby lever I3I. After the motor has reached its speed without load thelever I45 is manually swung from the position illustrated in full linesin Fig. 3 into the position illustrated by the broken lines in thatfigure.

With the extension I52 out of the path of the extension I33 of the leverI 3| the latter is moved by engagement with its hand grip I32 and theclutch spring 39 then being released operates to connect the rotatingsprocket 3| with the main shaft 63, this action starting the operationof the machine. 'In its raised position the lever I45 is held againstfurther movement by a stop lug I55 formed on thelever striking aprojection I56 of the housing I4I.

It will be observed that as long as the lever I45 is out of engagementwith the lever I3I, its arm I5I covers the start button I42. \If,therefore, the lever is moved to permit throwing in of the clutch byoperation of the hand lever I 3|, the motor cannot be started. If thereshould be a failure of electrical energy or if anything happens to stopthe motor, it and the entire machine might stop with the hand lever I3Iin clutched position. The start button I42 being covered at such a timewould then prevent restarting of the motor. To uncover the start buttonthe clutch must be disengaged. This is the safety feature which preventsthe starting of the motor under a load.

The electric motor 2I is preferably connected in a three-phaseelectrical system (Fig. 6) comprising lead wires a, b and c whichpreferably pass through a suitable service switch I6I and thence intothe switch box I. This switch box contains the start and stop buttonsI42, I43 previously referred to but in the wiring diagram some of theseelements have been spread out for the sake of clearness. A wire (1 leadsfrom one side of the starting button switch I42 and connects with thewire 0, the opposite side of the switch being connected by a wire e toan automatic four contact switch I one point of which is joined by awire 9 to the motor 2 I.

An electromagnet IE5 is carried in the switch box HI and is associated,by a movable solenoid core or similar device, with the automatic switchembodying the contact points I. This switch is a spring-back or normallyopen switch. The magnet is joined by a wire h to the two wires, (1, b,and by a wire 1 which joins with one side of the stop button switch I43.The opposite side of the switch I43 is joined to the wire c.

When the electromagnet IE5 is deenergized the automatic switch is openat the contact points 1 and no energy is flowing into the motor 2| andthe apparatus is idle. The start button I42 is normally open and if themachine is to be operated the button must first be depressed. The stopbutton switch I43 is closed at all times excepting when its button isdepressed.

In starting the motor the service switch I6I is first closed in'the leadlines a, b, and c, and then the start button is depressed. A momentarystarting current flows from the line 0, wire d, switch I42, switch I43,wire 1, the electric magnet' I65 and wire it back to the lead lines a,b.

This energizes the electromagnet I65 and closes the automatic switch atcontacts f, leading the current into the electric motor 2|, the currentpassing through wire 0 and wire 9 and through the wires a, b and wires9', k, to excite the fields of the motor and cause its rotation. As soonas the automatic switch is closed at the contact points I, a holdingcurrent is established which follows the same path as the startingcurrent only now it passes along the wire e instead of the wire d.

The start button switch I42 no longer is included and its immediaterelease by the operator in no way affects the operation of the motor. Aslong as the current flows in this manher the motor operates, theelectromagnet I65 remaining energized and holding the automatic switchclosed and connecting the wires a, b, c with the wires g, 1', k leadinginto the motor.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantageswill be understood from the foregoing description, and it will beapparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction andarrangement'of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the formhereinbefore described being merely a preferredembodiment thereof.

We claim:

1. A container handling apparatus comprising a main drive shaft, anelectric motor for rotating said drive shaft, a manually operatedfriction clutch interposed between said drive shaft and said motor forproviding a driving connection, a manually operated starting switch forestablishing an electric circuit supplying operating current to saidmotor, and means for preventing closing of said starting switch andthrough it starting of the motor when said friction clutch is inclutched position and providing said driving connection.

' 2. A container handling apparatus comprising a main drive shaft, anelectric motor for rotating said drive shaft, a manually operatedfriction clutch interposed between said drive shaft and said motor forprovidinga driving connection, a hand lever for operating said frictionclutch, a manually operated starting switch for establishing an electriccircuit supplying operating current to said motor, a blocking deviceassociated with said starting switch and having movement into one of twopositions, one position preventing movement of said hand lever whilepermitting access to said starting switch and the other position of saidblocking device permitting operation of said hand lever while preventingclosing of said starting switch.

3. A container handling apparatus comprising a main drive shaft, anelectric motor for rotating said drive shaft, a manually operatedfriction clutch interposed between said drive shaft and said motor forproviding a driving connection, a manually operated starting switch forestablishing an electric circuit supplying operating current to saidmotor, and means obstructing said starting switch when said clutch is indriving engagement with said shaft, said means being operative to permitactuation of said switch after said clutch has been manually releasedfrom engagement with said shaft.

4. A container seaming apparatus which comprises, in combination, aseaming mechanism, feeding devices for conveying cans and covers intosaid seaming mechanism, a drive shaft for actuating said seamingmechanism and said feeding devices so that the covers are seamed to thecans, an electric motor for rotating said drive shaft, a manuallyoperated friction clutch mounted on said drive shaft for providing adriving connection between said motor and said shaft, an electric switchelectrically positioned in the electric circuit passing through saidmotor and having start and stop controls, and means associated with saidfriction clutch and dependent upon its unclutched or clutched conditionfor preventing operation of either of the said start or stop switchcontrols so that the former can be actuated only when there is nodriving'connection in said friction clutch and no load on said driveshaft and the said stop control can be actuated only when the saiddriving connection is made and the load is on said drive shaft.

5. A container handling apparatus comprising a main drive shaft, anelectric motor for rotating said drive shaft, a manually operatedfriction clutch interposed between said drive shaft and said motor forproviding a driving connection, a manually operated starting switch forestablishing an electric circuit supplying operating current to saidmotor, and means obstructing the closing of said starting switch whensaid clutch is in driving engagement with said shaft, said means beingautomatically operative to permit access to said switch on movement ofsaid clutch to release position.

6. In a container seaming apparatus including a seaming mechanism,feeding devices for conveying cans and covers into said seamingmechanism, a drive shaft for actuating said seaming mechanism and saidfeeding devices so that the covers are seamed to the cans, an electricmotor for rotating said drive shaft, a manually operated friction clutchmounted on said drive shaft for providing a driving connection betweensaid motor and said shaft, and an electric switch electricallypositioned in the electric circuit passing through said motor and havingstart and stop controls: the combination with said mechanism of meansassociated with said friction clutch for alternately preventing accessto the said start and stop switch controls so that the former can beactuated only when there is no driving connection in said frictionclutch and no load on said drive shaft, and the said stop control can beactuated only when the said driving connection is made and the load ison said drive shaft.

RONALD E. J. NORDQUIST.

JOHN DANIEL LE FRANK.

